helping out at capital w was great today. brought back memories of time at council :D
thanks to jessye for offering me the chance to help out
and thanks to jing and jen and sham for helping out as well :D
business etiquette workshop was great as well and hopefully everyone enjoyed it
the after 'party' was nice but chilling too. haha.
and i m interested in the coffee machine in the lounge! and the heaps of coffee beans in the pantry in the lounge!!! :D
realization of the day:
if you are not given a choice, you learn to survive.
so do not be afraid of putting yourself into challenging situations.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
friends
good friends are hard to find.
true friends are even harder to find.
so treasure one forever when you find one.
because you don't want to miss his presence and company when you have already lost him.
:D
true friends are even harder to find.
so treasure one forever when you find one.
because you don't want to miss his presence and company when you have already lost him.
:D
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
malaysia
Ever had a merdeka wish?
Here is the best that I have read or heard of so far.
By Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, great granddaughter of Tunku Abdul Rahman.
'Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a chinese.
I'm happy that I don’t have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up "Are you Chinese or Malay"
Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead.
There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don’t have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn’t define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or Ali and still be a Christian.
I’ve heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don’t need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.
For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.
No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don’t feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don’t feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there.
I know some baby Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can’t they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.
I think the main reason why we still can’t achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.
For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.
I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of Malaysia truly Asia. Malaysians to lead - whatever their ethnic background. Only ONE NATIONALITY -MALAYSIAN. No Malays, No Chinese, No Indians - ONLY MALAYSIANS. Choose whatever religion one is comfortable with. "
I couldnt find a very credible source to validate it. but whether or not the author is really Tunku Abdul Rahman's daughter doesnt really matter, does it? because this is most probably the wish of many many malaysians.
"it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united"
i agree that it should and it might be, in the young minds. i remember vividly that when i was young, i was really proud to be a Malaysian and i did not see any difference between the races. i thought that we were merely people of different races that made up the country, people with different skin colour and people who have different mother tongue. but so what, we are all citizens and residents of that wonderful land. but as i grow elder, the reality of things start to set in. quota in schools, difference in treatment in schools, the unreasonable policies in the corporate and business world, and then, more and more drama in politics. i start to wonder, what is Malaysia, really. Is it really that difficult to say that we are Malaysians? Why do we always have to say that we are Malaysian Chinese? Malaysian Indians? Malaysian Malay? Is it that difficult to put away those superficial differences? why do we need policies based on these differences?
sometimes, when i m reading articles on Malaysia politics and others, i feel ashamed to call myself Malaysian, because my country is in such a mess that can be avoided, that is unnecessary. the root of the problem? various various various.
are we made to feel that malaysia is our home? i dont know. malaysia is my home because i grew up there, because my family members are there. was i made to feel that singapore was my home? well.
in singapore, i wasnt made to not feel that singapore was my home. i was free to think whether or not singapore welcomed me to treat it as a home.
in malaysia, it was made known to me that i was a 2nd class citizen because the difference was just so pervasive throughout the different sectors and layers of the society.
i m not going to come up with a decision on this question.
i m just saying that, i m a supporter of a multi-racial and equal and just political system and policies.
Here is the best that I have read or heard of so far.
By Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, great granddaughter of Tunku Abdul Rahman.
'Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a chinese.
I'm happy that I don’t have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up "Are you Chinese or Malay"
Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead.
There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don’t have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn’t define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or Ali and still be a Christian.
I’ve heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don’t need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.
For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.
No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don’t feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don’t feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there.
I know some baby Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can’t they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.
I think the main reason why we still can’t achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.
For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.
I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of Malaysia truly Asia. Malaysians to lead - whatever their ethnic background. Only ONE NATIONALITY -MALAYSIAN. No Malays, No Chinese, No Indians - ONLY MALAYSIANS. Choose whatever religion one is comfortable with. "
I couldnt find a very credible source to validate it. but whether or not the author is really Tunku Abdul Rahman's daughter doesnt really matter, does it? because this is most probably the wish of many many malaysians.
"it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united"
i agree that it should and it might be, in the young minds. i remember vividly that when i was young, i was really proud to be a Malaysian and i did not see any difference between the races. i thought that we were merely people of different races that made up the country, people with different skin colour and people who have different mother tongue. but so what, we are all citizens and residents of that wonderful land. but as i grow elder, the reality of things start to set in. quota in schools, difference in treatment in schools, the unreasonable policies in the corporate and business world, and then, more and more drama in politics. i start to wonder, what is Malaysia, really. Is it really that difficult to say that we are Malaysians? Why do we always have to say that we are Malaysian Chinese? Malaysian Indians? Malaysian Malay? Is it that difficult to put away those superficial differences? why do we need policies based on these differences?
sometimes, when i m reading articles on Malaysia politics and others, i feel ashamed to call myself Malaysian, because my country is in such a mess that can be avoided, that is unnecessary. the root of the problem? various various various.
are we made to feel that malaysia is our home? i dont know. malaysia is my home because i grew up there, because my family members are there. was i made to feel that singapore was my home? well.
in singapore, i wasnt made to not feel that singapore was my home. i was free to think whether or not singapore welcomed me to treat it as a home.
in malaysia, it was made known to me that i was a 2nd class citizen because the difference was just so pervasive throughout the different sectors and layers of the society.
i m not going to come up with a decision on this question.
i m just saying that, i m a supporter of a multi-racial and equal and just political system and policies.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
blackmores sydney marathon + selamat hari raya! :D
Had a great time volunteering at Blackmores Sydney Marathon! :D
for the first time in my life, i woke up at 430am to go and wait for the bus at 510am!! haha. cos we had to be there by 630am and due to road blocks, that was our only choice. LOL. baked a butter cake and brought it along for breakfast :D left IH with sis, chelsia and ye ji. met ken and kassie at the bus stop. met karl and terence there too :D
circular quay at 6am was surprisingly beautiful :D shall keep a lookout on fb for photos taken by ken and kassie :D
ye ji was stationed at opera house while the rest of us (ken, kassie, sis, chelsia and i) are stationed near mrs macquarie chair. we didnt know that the park is closed! haha. but luckily the rangers let us in and then we couldnt get pass. sigh. anyway, it was just a funny thingy that we were stucked in the park early in the morning. we were the only people who didnt know that the park is closed? cos all other people went there from elizabeth street and had no problem. had to call the rangers when we were locked in and looked for help. haha. but quite interesting :D
gave out water during the race.
lessons of the day:
i am motivated to start running :D
lead by action :D
finished clearing up and everything at 1020am. walked to opera house and saw the satisfaction on marathoners. their faces of joy and accomplishment is so 'wow'! :D
all of a sudden, we decided to wait to see terence finished the race. so sorry to chelsia and ye ji for this really sudden decision. so they left first, leaving kassie, ken, sis and i there to watch.
we actually stood there just watching people crossing the lines for 1 hour and 10 minutes. hahaha. but really, it was great! how couples finish the run together, friends finishing the race together with pride, people who are just happy that they completed the race, people who are in their 50s or even older finishing the race. and there was even a guy proposing to his gf at the finishing line! woohoo!! both of them ran the race and the guy proposed just before the finishing line. haha :D after 1 hour and 10 minutes wait there, we finally saw terence coming home!! woohoo!!! so proud of you, terence!! :D :D :D said hi, took photos and decided that we should leave him to rest while we go and makan cos our stomach were all growling. haha
had the zha jiang mian that grace recommended at chinatown. thought that it was just alright, not all that fantastic, but decent food ba :D
came back on a free bus ride. oh, did i mention? we get to take public transport for free today, just by showing this operations guide thingy from the marathon :D
slept like a pig on the bus. i m just so tired. LOL
today is also hari raya. i would like to wish all my muslim friends
selamat hari raya aidilfitri!! :D
here is a video of balik kampung, dedicated not only to those of you who balik kampung already, but also to us in foreign land who are looking forward to balik kampung
for the first time in my life, i woke up at 430am to go and wait for the bus at 510am!! haha. cos we had to be there by 630am and due to road blocks, that was our only choice. LOL. baked a butter cake and brought it along for breakfast :D left IH with sis, chelsia and ye ji. met ken and kassie at the bus stop. met karl and terence there too :D
circular quay at 6am was surprisingly beautiful :D shall keep a lookout on fb for photos taken by ken and kassie :D
ye ji was stationed at opera house while the rest of us (ken, kassie, sis, chelsia and i) are stationed near mrs macquarie chair. we didnt know that the park is closed! haha. but luckily the rangers let us in and then we couldnt get pass. sigh. anyway, it was just a funny thingy that we were stucked in the park early in the morning. we were the only people who didnt know that the park is closed? cos all other people went there from elizabeth street and had no problem. had to call the rangers when we were locked in and looked for help. haha. but quite interesting :D
gave out water during the race.
lessons of the day:
i am motivated to start running :D
lead by action :D
finished clearing up and everything at 1020am. walked to opera house and saw the satisfaction on marathoners. their faces of joy and accomplishment is so 'wow'! :D
all of a sudden, we decided to wait to see terence finished the race. so sorry to chelsia and ye ji for this really sudden decision. so they left first, leaving kassie, ken, sis and i there to watch.
we actually stood there just watching people crossing the lines for 1 hour and 10 minutes. hahaha. but really, it was great! how couples finish the run together, friends finishing the race together with pride, people who are just happy that they completed the race, people who are in their 50s or even older finishing the race. and there was even a guy proposing to his gf at the finishing line! woohoo!! both of them ran the race and the guy proposed just before the finishing line. haha :D after 1 hour and 10 minutes wait there, we finally saw terence coming home!! woohoo!!! so proud of you, terence!! :D :D :D said hi, took photos and decided that we should leave him to rest while we go and makan cos our stomach were all growling. haha
had the zha jiang mian that grace recommended at chinatown. thought that it was just alright, not all that fantastic, but decent food ba :D
came back on a free bus ride. oh, did i mention? we get to take public transport for free today, just by showing this operations guide thingy from the marathon :D
slept like a pig on the bus. i m just so tired. LOL
today is also hari raya. i would like to wish all my muslim friends
selamat hari raya aidilfitri!! :D
here is a video of balik kampung, dedicated not only to those of you who balik kampung already, but also to us in foreign land who are looking forward to balik kampung
Perjalanan jauh tak ku rasa
Kerna hati ku melonjak sama
Ingin berjumpa sanak saudara
Yang selalu bermain di mata
Nun menghijau gunung ladang dan rimba
Langit nan tinggi bertambah birunya
Deru angin turut sama berlagu
Semuanya bagaikan turut gembira
Balik kampung oh oh...( 3X )
Hati girang
Ho ho... Balik kampung (3X)
Hati girang
Terbayang wajah-wajah yang ku sayang
Satu-satu tersemat di kalbu
Pasti terubat rindu di hati
Menyambut kepulangan ku nanti
Perjalanan jauh tak ku rasa
Kerna hati ku melonjak sama
Ingin berjumpa sanak saudara
Yang selalu bermain di mata
Nun menghijau gunung ladang dan rimba
Langit nan tinggi bertambah birunya
Deru angin turut sama berlagu
Semuanya bagaikan turut gembira
Balik kampung oh oh...( 3X )
Hati girang
Ho ho... Balik kampung (3X)
Hati girang
Terbayang wajah-wajah yang ku sayang
Satu-satu tersemat di kalbu
Pasti terubat rindu di hati
Menyambut kepulangan ku nanti
Monday, September 14, 2009
不知道
用华文写文章对我来说好像远不可及的事了。
考了O水准高级华文后，应该就是在初级学院帮朋友写了一两首诗歌吧。
说起来还真惭愧。。。
外人可能看我还是那么吊儿郎当的，可是其实近来我想的好多。
挣扎着应该做些什么。
突然间，我好想念我那熟悉的生活。可能我在那生活中也有我不喜欢的地方，可是总觉得好有亲切感。可能如朋友刚才所说的，以后，当我回想我现在的生活，我也会觉得这地方给我留下了许多美好的回忆。
人，总是念旧的吗？
我从来都不否认我是一个相当impersonal的人
我一向来都不善于用语言表达我的感觉
我可以噼里啪啦的说一大堆废话。可是如果你要我说出我对一件事，对一个人的感觉，我就会。。。。。
可能这也是为什么我一直都会特别的保护自己。
其实我也不知道今天写了这些是为什么
所以如果你想问我，那我就先回答你吧
我不知道
考了O水准高级华文后，应该就是在初级学院帮朋友写了一两首诗歌吧。
说起来还真惭愧。。。
外人可能看我还是那么吊儿郎当的，可是其实近来我想的好多。
挣扎着应该做些什么。
突然间，我好想念我那熟悉的生活。可能我在那生活中也有我不喜欢的地方，可是总觉得好有亲切感。可能如朋友刚才所说的，以后，当我回想我现在的生活，我也会觉得这地方给我留下了许多美好的回忆。
人，总是念旧的吗？
我从来都不否认我是一个相当impersonal的人
我一向来都不善于用语言表达我的感觉
我可以噼里啪啦的说一大堆废话。可是如果你要我说出我对一件事，对一个人的感觉，我就会。。。。。
可能这也是为什么我一直都会特别的保护自己。
其实我也不知道今天写了这些是为什么
所以如果你想问我，那我就先回答你吧
我不知道
Sunday, September 13, 2009
realizationsssssss
hello, readers!
i m so sorry for abandon-ing this blog for more than a week.
i tried writing down what i have done in melb and adelaide from 05092009 to 10092009. but well, i realized that i m not the kind of person who enjoys recounting what has happened for such long period. so sorry. look at the photos on my facebook and you can find out more about my trip to melb and adelaide with sis, dad and ergu (aunt) :D
since i dont feel like recounting, i shall write my piece of mind :D haha.
realization 1: went for law soc intervarsity sports day at usyd this morning. got a pretty but oversized law soc singlet :D glad to meet jiaying and her friend there. haha.
when i was looking at them, i suddenly realized that sara will most probably grow up and be like them. (sara is my 10-month-old cousin)
realization 2: go travelling when it is holdiay. there is no point staying in college because you will tell yourself that it is holiday and that you should be enjoying it. so at the end, you will most probably end up doing nothing :D
realization 3: i m so lazy to be sociable these days. i m missing szeching, yeewon, dharl, ivy, michele, yipeng, sining they all. good and close friends are hard to come by.
realization 4: why dont u see many international students at lawsoc events? hmm.
realization 5: i should think about improving myself at netball, cos my standard has been stagnant since 2005!
realization 6: i m such a slacker
realization 7: i m still not used to my life being controlled by others. too used to living on my own and making my own decisions
realization 8: thankful for the wonderful people she has met in oz :D
realization 9: called the senior for vacuum cleaner and totally forgot to go and take it. LOL.
realization 10: time to go and clean up my room!!! :D
bb!!!!
to all my friends who are leaving for the US and UK, take care!! :D
i m so sorry for abandon-ing this blog for more than a week.
i tried writing down what i have done in melb and adelaide from 05092009 to 10092009. but well, i realized that i m not the kind of person who enjoys recounting what has happened for such long period. so sorry. look at the photos on my facebook and you can find out more about my trip to melb and adelaide with sis, dad and ergu (aunt) :D
since i dont feel like recounting, i shall write my piece of mind :D haha.
realization 1: went for law soc intervarsity sports day at usyd this morning. got a pretty but oversized law soc singlet :D glad to meet jiaying and her friend there. haha.
when i was looking at them, i suddenly realized that sara will most probably grow up and be like them. (sara is my 10-month-old cousin)
realization 2: go travelling when it is holdiay. there is no point staying in college because you will tell yourself that it is holiday and that you should be enjoying it. so at the end, you will most probably end up doing nothing :D
realization 3: i m so lazy to be sociable these days. i m missing szeching, yeewon, dharl, ivy, michele, yipeng, sining they all. good and close friends are hard to come by.
realization 4: why dont u see many international students at lawsoc events? hmm.
realization 5: i should think about improving myself at netball, cos my standard has been stagnant since 2005!
realization 6: i m such a slacker
realization 7: i m still not used to my life being controlled by others. too used to living on my own and making my own decisions
realization 8: thankful for the wonderful people she has met in oz :D
realization 9: called the senior for vacuum cleaner and totally forgot to go and take it. LOL.
realization 10: time to go and clean up my room!!! :D
bb!!!!
to all my friends who are leaving for the US and UK, take care!! :D
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
what you can do.
so today at AIESEC LCM, we talked a little about children soldiers in uganda and watched a video on patrik awuah who spoke on TED. if you are wondering what i m talking about, go to www.ted.com and just search for his name. :)
he grew up in ghana and went to college in US. he then joined microsoft and started a family in the US. now, doesnt that sound like most of us or people that we know? we grow up in our home country. opportunities present themselves and we choose to go and pursue our dreams, to open up our world and to enjoy the greener pasture on the other side of the world. for those who do not or have yet to get the opportunities, they stay in their homecountry, often hoping for golden chances to pop up and to give them the path to experience a different life.
this man, after having lived in the US, established himself into the upper middle class, one day realizes that he has responsibilities to his homecountry to his people. because it is important to his children. he went back to ghana and established the ashesi university college www.ashesi.edu.gh
now, the point to discuss here is. will YOU, who is currently away from the place where you grew up in, go back to serve your people? There is one important quote that i took away from his 15 minute speech, and that is that education is not about entitlement, it is about responsibilities. because we are privileged enough to receive education, a luxury that many around the world are denied. at some point of time, you might come to realize, it is no longer about me, it is about what i can do and what i should do for my people who are less privileged.
university education is not about getting the degree. it is about developing oneself. no one society is perfect. it is up to us to find out that area of our society that we want to play a part to improve. many might say, well, the society is shaped by so many factors, what can i, as an individual do?
Nike says 'Just do it', which i have come to think has some truth. why do we tend to worry so much before we even try? if everybody does that little bit, it can make a huge difference. sounds cliche, but it is true. if the communal pantry is dirty and everyone thinks that he can contribute very little, the pantry is going to continue being dirty. if the class is too quiet and not responsive and everyone waits for another person to say sth, the class will just continue being too quiet. it is each individual's continued effort that makes a BIG thing happen.
When you are free (like now, since you are reading my post), think about what do you not like, which aspect of the society that provokes you most. and think of what you can do about it. you never know what you can do.
he grew up in ghana and went to college in US. he then joined microsoft and started a family in the US. now, doesnt that sound like most of us or people that we know? we grow up in our home country. opportunities present themselves and we choose to go and pursue our dreams, to open up our world and to enjoy the greener pasture on the other side of the world. for those who do not or have yet to get the opportunities, they stay in their homecountry, often hoping for golden chances to pop up and to give them the path to experience a different life.
this man, after having lived in the US, established himself into the upper middle class, one day realizes that he has responsibilities to his homecountry to his people. because it is important to his children. he went back to ghana and established the ashesi university college www.ashesi.edu.gh
now, the point to discuss here is. will YOU, who is currently away from the place where you grew up in, go back to serve your people? There is one important quote that i took away from his 15 minute speech, and that is that education is not about entitlement, it is about responsibilities. because we are privileged enough to receive education, a luxury that many around the world are denied. at some point of time, you might come to realize, it is no longer about me, it is about what i can do and what i should do for my people who are less privileged.
university education is not about getting the degree. it is about developing oneself. no one society is perfect. it is up to us to find out that area of our society that we want to play a part to improve. many might say, well, the society is shaped by so many factors, what can i, as an individual do?
Nike says 'Just do it', which i have come to think has some truth. why do we tend to worry so much before we even try? if everybody does that little bit, it can make a huge difference. sounds cliche, but it is true. if the communal pantry is dirty and everyone thinks that he can contribute very little, the pantry is going to continue being dirty. if the class is too quiet and not responsive and everyone waits for another person to say sth, the class will just continue being too quiet. it is each individual's continued effort that makes a BIG thing happen.
When you are free (like now, since you are reading my post), think about what do you not like, which aspect of the society that provokes you most. and think of what you can do about it. you never know what you can do.
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